Crossing Destinies
by evenstar710
Summary: What if fate was altered? What if Edward was never changed? What would happen there after. Destiny herself has comes to fix the past and futures of the Cullens and Bella. With the help of a young woman named Cai, things will be set right.
1. Coffee and Dreams

_**So here is my new story. I don't think anyone has anything like it. Edward and Bella will come later but I have to set the story up first. This chapter is told from the POV of an OC named Cai Drake. I hope you like her. And as a treat, there is a little bitty peek at Edward. I hope you enjoy.**_

_**All Twilight characters belong to SM. Cai, however, is all mine.**_

Chapter one: Coffee and Dreams

_I'm late again! Sarah's gonna kill me._

I was supposed to meet my friend Sarah at a small mom and pop coffee shop right off campus at 4. It was now 4:17.

I got sidetracked doing research for my senior thesis, yet again. Who would have ever thought that vampires could be so interesting. Each culture, all the way back to ancient Sumeria, had their own version. It was fascinating to say the least.

As I walked toward the café that was right off campus, the misty rain that Seattle was notorious for started up. I pulled the hood of my gray hoodie up and looked down to keep the rain out of my face. I watched as my black combat boots made little splashes with each step I took.

Five minutes later I entered the café and spotted Sarah. She had one of her overly-flavored coffees in front of her and was impatiently tapping her nails on the cheap Formica tabletop.

I sat down in front of her and she raised one pencil thin black brow in my direction. "Research?" she asked.

I just smiled sheepishly. It wasn't as if it were a real question when she already knew the answer.

I pushed the hood of my head as the waitress came up to take my order.

"What can I get for you, hon?"

"Coffee, black."

The waitress looked at me a bit funny and ambled off to get me my coffee. I would never understand why people thought it was odd to order coffee in a coffee shop.

While we waited, I took a moment to check out my surroundings. I found the place quite homey with its dark wood paneling and mismatched tables and chairs. The shop was on a corner so two of the walls contained large picture windows to let in the Pacific-Northwest's equivalent of sunlight. I especially like the green stained glass lights the hung from the high ceiling on brass chains.

My coffee arrived in a cheerful yellow mug and I turned my attention back to Sarah.

"So, besides my well known caffeine obsession, why did you ask me to meet you?" I asked.

"I can't ask my best friend out for coffee for no other reason than to ask my best friend out for coffee?"

"Oh. I guess I have been pretty absent as of late."

"Absent, try missing in action."

"Sorry. So anything new with you."

"I have a new boy toy."

I laughed internally. Sarah was a serial dater and proud of it. While neither of us wanted any kind of commitment with anyone, Sarah was still determined that she was going to get sex, and frequently.

"So does this month's flavor have a name, or are you just forgoing those now?"

"His name is Logan. Not that I really care. I just care that he has an eight pack and a tight ass." I laughed as Sarah flashed her infamous mega-watt smile while she said it.

Glancing at the clock on the wall I realized it was already 5. If I wanted to catch the 5:30 ferry to Bainbridge Island, I needed to go.

"I gotta go, need to catch the ferry home."

Sarah frowned at me. "I don't see why you don't just live in the city. If you did you wouldn't have to live off the stupid ferry schedule."

"Because, Bainbridge is quiet and I like it that way."

"Hermit."

"Slut."

"Bookworm."

"Player."

"Nerd."

"Bottle blonde."

Sarah laughed out loud at the last one. This was something we always did. We never meant to be nasty about anything, but that didn't mean the words weren't true. We were both just comfortable with who were and accepted it.

"Do you want to come out this weekend?" she asked.

"What about tight buns Logan?"

"Pfft…like I wouldn't blow him off to hang with you. Guys like him are a dime a dozen."

I chuckled, she would too. "I can't, I need to outline and start adding my new research to what I already have."

"Alright. We still on for beer, pizza, and movies on Tuesday right?"

"Of course, my house this week."

"See you then."

"Bye."

I flipped my hood back up and made my way to the ferry terminal. Sarah and I had been doing the Tuesday night hang out session since we were in high school together. If we ever missed a week it was because one of us wasn't even in the state. We alternated houses each week unless one of us was sick or was going to be late for some reason. It was an hour ferry ride after all.

By the time I got to the ferry the coffee had run through me and I really had to go.

I quickly bought my ticket, got on the boat and dashed to the bathroom, tucking my fingerless star patterned gloves into my pocket as I went.

After I did my business and washed my hands, I took a moment to check my appearance in the mirror. My wine red hair was damp, making it look almost purple, and hung in tangled chucks to just past my shoulders. Without a brush and a blow dryer there wasn't much I could do about it. My cheeks were pink from the wind and wet which somehow made my skin look paler than it already was. Nope, nothing I could do about that either. My mascara had run slightly, so I had black streaks under my hazel eyes. Hey! Something I can actually fix. I tore off a piece of paper towel and wiped away the smudged makeup.

When I was done. I walked back out and took a seat near the other end of the ferry where I would disembark. I put my gloves back on and looked around the ferry. It was quiet on this ferry. Most people went home from the city on the 4:20 or 5:00 ferries. I decided to take a nap while I waited.

I slipped my messenger bag under the seat and stretched out on the bench. I was only 5'5" so I fit fairly well. Within moments I was asleep and began to dream.

I was standing on the side of an unfamiliar road. I was definitely somewhere in Washington state, however. Tall moss covered pine trees lined both side of the road and the gravel on the road was wet from a recent rain.

I turned around and came face to face with quite possible the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. She was very tall, nearing 6', but slender. Her white blonde hair fell down to her hips and seemed almost alive in the light breeze. She looked at me with pale green eyes the shone out from her honey gold skin. She was so perfect that I didn't think it was possible for her to be real, but then she spoke.

"You have a job to do soon, Cai."

"What kind of job?"

"You have to set things right. You have to fix destiny. You have to help him."

"Help who?"

"Him," she answered while pointing behind me with her chin.

I turned around and saw a young man sitting in the middle of the road cross-legged. I couldn't see his face because he was looking at the ground by his legs, but his hair was the oddest bronze color. It was beautiful in its oddity.

I turned back to ask the woman who he was but she was gone. Spinning back around, I saw that the bronze-haired boy was gone too. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder and came face to face with…

…the guy who worked on the ferry?

"It's time to get off the boat Miss," he said.

"Huh?"

"We're in Bainbridge Island."

"Oh!" I was awake and I needed to get of the ferry. "Thank you," I said and quickly gathered my bag and walked off.

I shook my head to clear the dream, but for the whole 10 minute walk home, it was all I could think about.

When I finally got to my house, I breathed a sigh of relief. After the oddity of the dream and the sense of urgency that it brought me, it was nice to be back in the relaxing atmosphere of my home.

I sat down on the porch swing and swung gently. I loved my house. It was a little three bedroom ranch that I bought with the inheritance my grandmother left me when she died. With its hard wood floors, large windows, and claw foot bathtubs, I fell in love with it instantly. It was set far enough back from the road the if I wanted to walk around outside naked, no one would see me. Not the I would, but I could nonetheless.

I finally went inside, and dropped my bag by the door. I unzipped my hoodie and laid it on the back of the kitchen chair and the sat down to unlace my boots.

As I was removing my second boot, I saw something that made me freeze. The mirror in the hall was situated in a way that I could see my living room from the kitchen. And in that reflection I saw the back of a very tall woman with long white blonde hair standing in my living room.

I thanked my paranoid nature as I grabbed the .45 S&W that was stashed in a kitchen drawer and dashed around the corner into the living room, but no one was there.

I made my way through the house room by room, searching. After, half an hour I realized that my bizarre dream must have affected me more than I had originally thought.

I returned my weapon to its home and plopped down on my brown leather couch. I put my elbows on my knees and dropped my head into my hands as I took a ragged breath.

Once my nerves and sanity were back under control, I got up to get my bag out of the front hall and my laptop from the bedroom were I had last used it.

I set everything on the couch and grabbed myself a beer out of the refrigerator. I walked back to the living room and set the beer on the table while I went to plug in my laptop. As I was plugging it in, I noticed something on the floor that shouldn't be there.

I picked up a single sheet of paper, and read what had to be the oddest words ever written; but somehow I believed every one of them.

Cai Drake,

Your dream was real. I was there. My name is Destiny, and that is not just my name, but it is what I do. I monitor destinies and make sure that things turn out the way that they should.

The man in your dream that I showed you needs your help. His destiny was thrown off course and as a result so has yours.

In your spare room I have left you a crate. There is much knowledge you need before you begin your task and this crate contains the starting point.

Inside you will find historical records maintained by a man named Marcus of the Volturi. I assure you everything inside is factual, even if it is hard to believe. I'll return soon.

With the best of luck to you,

Destiny

Grasping the paper in my hand I dashed up the stairs into the spare bedroom. Sure enough, right there, dead center of the room, was an old wooden trunk. A heavy looking lock lay next to it, open.

I walked over to it slowly and dropped to my knees before it. I ran my hand over the rough wood in an attempt to brace myself for whatever may be inside.

Finally, I opened the box to find several leather journals. I picked up the first one, slowly opened it and began reading.

"Oh. My. God."

_**Well, I hope you like the start of my new little tale. **_

_**Special thanks to SparklingTwilight for your support and editing. You are most awesome. You should all go check out her story Breaking the Silence if you haven't already, right after you review. Please…**_


	2. Meadows and Motorcycles

**Chapter 2 - Meadows and Motorcycles**

_**Finally, I opened the box to find several leather journals. I picked up the first one and slowly opened and began reading.**_

"_**Oh. My. God."**_

**Saturday morning found me still sitting on the floor in my spare bedroom. My hair had been thrown up haphazardly during one of my coffee and pee breaks. The floor around me was littered with journals, my notes, coffee cups, and granola bar wrappers.**

**I decided my eyes could use a break, and while I really needed to sleep, I knew there was no way that was going to happen anytime soon. I settled on taking a shower and eating some breakfast that didn't come wrapped in foil.**

**Forcing my brain into silence, I went into my bathroom and turned on the water to heat up while I undressed. As I pulled off my tank top, I caught the reflection of my tattoo in the mirror. The ancient Greek writing spread between my shoulder blades. I laughed at the irony of what it said in conjunction with the odd events of yesterday.**

'**There is no fate but that in which we make for ourselves'**

**Hell, I thought it had been prolific when I got it. Look at me now!**

**Shaking my head, I got into the shower and let the hot water soothe the sore muscles in my neck and shoulders that had been caused from looking down at books all night. I wet my hair and washed it with my favorite jasmine scented shampoo and followed it with the matching conditioner. I followed that with gardenia body wash. I finished by washing my face and brushing my teeth (doing that in the shower just saved me a step). I turned off the water and stepped out.**

**I started to dry off and my stomach started to rumble. Now that I was clean and slightly more composed, I was famished. The granola bars just weren't cutting it. I finishing drying off and left my dirty clothes and towel on the bathroom floor, I could pick them up later.**

**I went into my bedroom and threw on a pair of track pants and a sports bra. I had no intentions of going anywhere, so it really didn't matter what the hell I wore right now. I grabbed my notes out of the spare room as I passed and went downstairs.**

**Tossing the notes on to the table, I went to the cupboard for a bowl and a packet of instant oatmeal. While watching it revolve in the microwave, I tapped my bare foot impatiently on the ground. When it was done, I scarfed it down while still standing in front of the microwave. I was faintly surprised I even took the time to fill the bowl with water when I was done. Then again, oatmeal turns into cement if you let it sit in the bowl.**

**I grabbed my notes off the table and my hoodie off the back of the chair where I had left it last night and headed out the front door onto the porch.**

**As I put the hoodie on, I took in the day around me. It was a rare sunny and warm day. The mid-morning sun streamed to the trees, casting a greenish light on the grounds surrounding the house. A very light breeze blew in off the water, scenting the air with a bit of salt. All in all, it was a beautiful day, and as much as I would like to enjoy it, I had things I needed to process. Plus, I was only about halfway through those journals.**

**Speaking of journals, I sat down on my porch swing and started to flip through the notes I had jotted down the night before. It was hard to believe that the very beings that I had been researching for my thesis were very much real. Of course, none of the legends that I had looked at had it right.**

**Real vampires didn't have fangs. They sparkled in the sunlight. The were as hard as marble and had eyes that were as red as the blood that they drank.**

**The author of the journals was indeed a man named Marcus. He was one of three ancient vampires that made up the Volturi. They were the royalty of the vampire world and they ruled with an iron fist.**

**As I had read, I had learned about the history of their race. From battles against werewolves, to the plague of immortal children, and wars against armies of vicious newborn vamps. All of it had my poor little head spinning. How was it that all of this could happen right under the noses of all humanity? Were we really that blind? Apparently so.**

**On another level, the fact that they actually existed made perfect sense. No other 'mythological' being was present in so many cultures. The ones that didn't were few and far between. I always felt that there had to be something behind all the stories, I just never thought it could be this. And I definitely never dreamed that I would be the one to find the truth of it all.**

**I laid across the porch swing and closed my eyes, processing all of the information that was now bouncing around my brain. The light breeze sent strands of my hair floating in the air around my face and one foot stayed on the ground in order to push the swing gently. Before I even realized that my sleepless night had caught up to me, I was dreaming again.**

**This time I was standing in the middle of the woods at the edge of a clearing and Destiny was beside me. The meadow before me was perfectly round and the sun shone down upon it. Hundreds of beautifully colored wildflowers decorated the grass and I heard the bubbling sound of water nearby.**

"**What are we doing here?" I asked.**

**Destiny didn't look at me, but she answered. "What you are about to see is fate's way of crying out, of begging to be fixed. Just watch."**

**I looked back towards the meadow and at the edge I saw the bronzed-haired young man from before. This time I could actually see him though. He was tall, about 6'1" if I had to guess, and a bit on the thin side, but not scrawny. He had a beautiful face and piercing green eyes. He was looking across the meadow and suddenly smiled.**

**I looked in the direction that he was looking and saw a very pretty girl about the same age as him. She had long wavy brown hair and large brown eyes that looked out from her fair face. She saw the young man and smiled as well.**

**Simultaneously, the two began to walk towards each other. While I didn't know who they were, I could feel the love flowing off of them from where I stood. When they were about 15ft away from each other, something happened.**

**Dark, ominous clouds rolled in and the pair looked up. With the loss of sunlight both suddenly went from just being pale skinned to looking a sickly gray color. The love that I had felt so strongly before was now total fear. A loud cracking sound broke through the silence and a huge fissure cut through the middle of the meadow, dividing the lovers.**

**Next thing I knew, the man was gone. Just disappeared into thin air and the girl dropped to the ground. Bright red blood began to soak through the white dress that she wore before she too just vanished. **

**The meadow was suddenly whole again and the clouds parted letting the sun back in. It now looked as if nothing at all had happened, except that I was sure that my face betrayed my shock. **

"**What was that?" I finally managed to squeak out.**

**Destiny turned to face me. "Do you know that expression, 'love will find a way'?"**

"**Yes."**

"**Well, that was love trying to find a way, but death got in the way. Now their souls are screaming out for help."**

"**Why me though."**

"**Three reasons; one, you are one of few humans who can handle the truth without going insane. Two, you're fate is about to be altered due to past events. If things are not set right, you're life will go wrong as well. Last but not least, you will soon be in the position to leap frog through time. I can't do that, but you will."**

"**Like time travel? How?"**

"**I don't know exactly how, I just know you will be able to."**

**For a few minutes we just stood in silence as I tried to figure out how this time thing was possible. I came up with nothing.**

**Destiny watched me think and then spoke up. "When you get back look on your kitchen table. I left you a list of names. I need you to look up their histories. These are the people you'll need to know for this. The first three you will find in the trunk, the rest you'll need to use other sources. The last two names are the ones that you saw here today. Now wake up."**

**I shot upright on the swing, sending it rocking and me on to the floor. "Shit!"**

**I grabbed the swing with my hand to keep it from hitting me on its way back. I pulled myself up and dashed into the house and straight to the kitchen. I quick glance at the clock on the stove told me it was already five o'clock. **

**As expected, I leaf of paper was waiting for me on the table. I flipped on the light and picked up to look over the names on the list.**

**Carlisle Cullen**

**Mary Alice Brandon**

**Jasper Whitlock**

**Rosalie Hale**

**Emmett McCarty**

**Esme Platt-Evenson**

**Edward Masen**

**Isabella Swan**

**As impatient as I was to begin my research, I knew I need to eat something. I called in an order to the Chinese place and got myself some veggie chow mein and egg rolls. While I waited for the food to arrive, I grabbed my laptop and some pillows and took them up to the spare room. By the time I came back down, my doorbell rang. That was what I loved about Chinese food, it was always fast.**

**I paid the man and sat down at the table to eat. I didn't want to get food on the journals. I finished quickly and tossed out the empty container, before I grabbed a bottle of water and my list. I took the stairs two at a time and promptly sat down before the trunk. **

**I decided to tackle the list in order. I dug through the truck until I found a book that contained the records of all known vampires. First on my list was Carlisle Cullen.**

**Carlisle had been born the son of a pastor sometime in the mid-1600's. His father claimed to hunt vampires, but ended up just killing a lot of people. Carlisle followed his father's trade, but was more careful about who he condemned to death. At 23 years old he discovered a coven of true vampires living in the London sewers. He was bitten during the attack and became a vampire. Carlisle discovered a way of life by sustaining himself on the blood of animals. He was seen as a freak of the vampire world, but stood by his ways. He searched for more of his kind but never found any. Eventually, his loneliness got to him and he requested death from the Volturi in 1924. His request was granted.**

**I instantly found myself admiring the man. He fought so hard against his own nature, but loneliness got to him. I had to give him credit for holding on for near 300 years.**

**Moving on to the next one, Mary Alice Brandon. Born in 1901, she claimed to have visions of the future. At some point she was put into an insane asylum by her parents. In approximately 1920, she was turned into a vampire. Mary's sire is unknown as she has no memory of her human life. In 1925, she was discovered by the Volturi and asked to join the guard. She was coveted for her ability to see the future and now sits as Aro's right hand.**

**Jasper Whitlock was a Civil War soldier. He joined the Confederate Army in 1861. He was turned in 1863 and turned his attention to the newborn wars of the south. Eventually he left and took up a nomadic existence. His ability to sense others emotions drove him insane and he went on a killing rampage, drawing attention. Jasper was executed by the Volturi guard in 1974 in New York City.**

**I set the book down and leaned back on the pillows. Two of these people had their lives end in tragic and sad ways. I hoped that whatever was in Destiny's card led these people to better lives. I had to believe that.**

**I then booted up my laptop, knowing that somehow I would have no trouble finding the information that I needed. I had Destiny herself on my side. I typed the first name into the search bar…and bingo! Rosalie Hale.**

**Rosalie Hale was born in 1915 and was the quintessential socialite in Rochester, NY. She was engaged to be married to the very wealthy Royce King when she was found beaten and raped in an alleyway in 1933. She was already dead when she was found. No one was ever arrested.**

**Emmett McCarty, born 1915. His remains were found in the wilderness in 1935. A bear attack was suspected but couldn't be confirmed due to the level of decomposition.**

**Esme Platt-Evenson, born 1985. Committed suicide by jumping off of a cliff after her newborn son died in 1921.**

**I braced myself to read about the early deaths of the young lovers.**

**Edward Masen, born 1901. Died 1918 of Spanish Influenza. He was 17.**

**Isabella Swan, born 1987. Died in a car crash in her school parking lot at age 17.**

**I wiped away the tears that I hadn't even realized had fallen. So many people dead before they even had a chance at life. I knew that I would do whatever I had to in order to help these people. First, I needed to clear my head a bit.**

**Changing into jeans, a tee shirt, boots, and a leather jacket; I headed out to my garage. I pushed my sleek black Kawasaki Ninja out to the drive way and strapped on my helmet.**

**I took to the road at a leisurely 35mph. Riding always helped me relax, but I was no daredevil. I kept my face shield cracked to take in the slightly salty air as the road passed by under my tires. **

**The last thing I saw before the total darkness was the headlights of a black car hitting me before I could even swerve.**

_**And you know the drill. Click that little button and make my day. Please?**_


	3. Darkness and Hope

Chapter 3 - Darkness and Hope

_I took to the road at a leisurely 35mph. Riding always helped me relax, but I was no daredevil. I kept my face shield cracked to take in the slightly salty air as the road passed by under my tires. _

_The last thing I saw before the total darkness was the headlights of a black car hitting me before I could even swerve. _

I suddenly found myself standing in the middle of the same meadow as before. I stood there for a moment in fear, wondering if the ground would split open as it had before with Edward and Isabella. I looked up at the sky for the dark gray clouds, but they never came.

Then another thought jumped into my head. I hadn't been sleeping, I had been on my motorcycle.

The headlights.

The black car.

The sudden fear.

The darkness.

Now here I was standing in the meadow of the long since dead, that previously I had only visited in a dream. I was also now standing in the middle instead of on the edge looking into it.

"Am I dead?"

As I expected, Destiny's tall blonde figure appeared before me. "I'm sorry Cai. I didn't know that this is what would happen. I'm not so sure I would have told you if I had known, but I didn't regardless."

"So, I guess this is were I start my little trip through the past. My life for theirs." As much as I hated the thought of dying at only 22, I could see why the powers that be thought it a fair trade.

"Not exactly," Destiny said. "This was where your fate got screwed up as well. If we can fix the rest, we can change this outcome. Originally, I was just going to send you back to one particular point in time, but now I'm going to send you to several."

"Why? Shouldn't just changing the one thing that went wrong set everything else right?" I asked.

"It should, but it's not definite. I've become rather attached to you Cai. I think of you as a friend, and I don't have many of those. I want to see your life turn out the way it should. So, we are going to make sure everything turns out the way it should have, no chances."

"I like the thought of no chances. I really don't want to stay dead." I found myself laughing internally at how odd this conversation really was. 'I don't want to stay dead.' Never would have thought I would be saying that one. Then again, I never would have thought I would receive a trunk with the complete history of vampires either, so I shouldn't be too shocked.

"We will fix this, Cai. We will save those people, and I will save you in the process. I won't accept anything less." Destiny paused for a second. "I'm so sorry it was you that got dragged into this. You don't deserve to have your life flipped upside down."

I looked at Destiny and realize that tears were shimmering in her pale green eyes. It gave them an even more ethereal quality than they had before. Before I could even think about my actions, I reached over and hugged her. "Thank you for caring, Destiny. I think I see you as a friend, too. We'll figure this out together and fix it, all of it."

Destiny hugged me back and we broke apart. She wiped at her eyes and I found myself doing the same.

"So, what's our first step," I asked.

"I'm going to send you back to when Edward was still human. Most of your contact will be with him and I want him to get used to you. Try not to scare him too much."

"So what do I do? What do I say to him?"

"His father is about to become sick. Let him know that things will work out alright in the end. Basically, show him that you know what the future holds, without actually giving anything away. He's still human and not ready to handle the whole truth, we'll explain that to him later. Just be yourself, and try to help him. When your done, come back here and I'll explain the next step. We'll do this one at a time to make sure all things go the way they should."

I nodded my understanding, because I really couldn't think of anything to say that didn't sound completely stupid. I just really hoped I didn't screw this up. A lot of lives were on the line, mine included.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"I'll give you a few minutes to get acclimated to your surroundings before he comes into your path."

"Thanks, I might need that."

"I'll see you when you get back," she said. Then she put her hands on my shoulders and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, I felt my world shift and darkness over took my vision. Then I felt Destiny push me back and I collided with…

Chicago, Illinois - November 1918

…a park bench?

I shook my head to try to dispel my disorientation. I figured I only had a very short time before Edward made his appearance, so I quickly took in my surroundings. It looked to be about midday, but the quaint little park was empty.

I knew my history well enough to know that Chicago was in the full swing of the Spanish Influenza outbreak. Most public places of entertainment were closed and you could even be arrested for visiting them. I wondered what Edward would be doing here.

Shouldn't he be worried about catching the disease? Hell, if I wasn't already dead, I would be worried just standing in this city. Then again, I took in the sheer emptiness of the park and realized that maybe he had the right idea coming here. Who the hell was he gonna catch the disease from?

I pulled my leather jacket closer to me as the wind picked up. Shit! Unless Edward was completely blind and stupid, there would be no way he wouldn't notice how odd my current ensemble was. Oh well, nothing I could do about it now.

I glanced around the park and noticed Edward's tall figure loping in my direction, but his eyes were cast down at his feet. He was about to walk past me when I finally worked up the nerve and called out.

"Edward Masen."

I guess he never even noticed that I had been there before, because he spun around so fast that his long legs got tangled with each other and he fell over rather unceremoniously to the pavement. He looked so shocked sitting there on the ground that I had to resist the urge to laugh at him, it was just too funny.

I got up from my seat on the bench and reached my hand out to help him up.

EPOV

He was coughing again.

My mother and I were sitting in the living room. She was embroidering something and I was playing quietly on the piano when we heard it. I immediately stopped playing and looked to my mother. She had stopped her worked and her eyes jumped to mine betraying her fear.

My father's coughs had started two days ago and they were getting worse. We both knew what was coming, but neither of us had the nerve to say it.

My mother rose up from the couch and went to my father's office. I just sat frozen on the piano bench. Finally, I rose up and grabbed my jacket. I needed to think, and I needed to think alone, so I decided to talk a walk to the park.

I was pretty much off in my own little world as I walked. A million questions raced through my mind as I ignored the cold wind seeping down the collar of my jacket. What would we do if my father died? How would we get by? What if my mother became sick? How could I live without both of them? What if I became sick? So many questions and not a single answer.

"Edward Masen."

I woman's voice called out to me and startled me out of my reverie. I spun around too fast and toppled over onto the walkway. I wasn't sure what shocked me more, the unexpected voice, or my unusual clumsiness.

Suddenly the woman was before me with her hand outstretched to help me up. I took in her odd wardrobe and for a moment all I could do was sit on the freezing cold ground and stare up at her. I guess she interpreted my hesitation as something else.

"I promise, I'm not sick," she said.

I smiled slightly and allowed her to help me up.

Now that I was standing, I took in the oddly dressed woman before me. She was a few years older than me and quite pretty, but as usual I felt no attraction to her. She had red hair that was so deep it almost appeared purple and hung down to just below her shoulders. While it was unfashionably short, it suited her. Her skin was pale, expected with her red hair, but completely devoid of freckles. Her hazel eyes seemed to be assessing me as much as I was her. I just couldn't figure out her odd clothing. I decided that it would be rude to ask her.

Then something else odd occurred to me. She had called me by my name. I was quite certain I had never met the odd woman before in my life. She was definitely not one that I would forget.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

She smiled slightly and answered. "I know lots of things, just don't ask me how. Not yet anyways."

I stood there trying to figure out her cryptic answer, but that just drew more questions.

I decided to just take my usual gentlemanly approach. "Is there something I can help you with ma'am?"

She raised an eyebrow at me like I had just insulted her. "Please don't call me ma'am. I may be older than you, but I am not old. My name is Cai Drake. And before you call me Miss Drake or something, just call me Cai. There is no need to be formal, we are going to be bumping into each other quite a bit."

I closed my eyes and tried to process what she was saying, but most of it wasn't making a lick of sense. She seemed to know me and all I knew about her was her name and the fact that she was odder than a five legged elephant.

"Why don't we sit down. I haven't got much time and there are some things that I need to say," she said.

I followed her to the bench and sat on one side while she sat on the other. My nerves and confusion had me sitting ramrod straight, while she sat sideways on the bench with one leg tucked up and her arms slug across the back. It was obvious she hadn't been raised the way most women were. I couldn't think of one lady that would sit in such a pose.

"I know about your father," she said suddenly.

My eyes shot up to hers. "What…How?"

"I just know. Don't ask me the how's. You aren't ready for them."

"How about the why's then? Why would you even bring this up. I don't even know you."

"No, you don't, but you will. As for why, I'm here to tell you something. Regardless of why it's coming, regardless of how badly it seems that your world is coming apart around you, you need to remember something. Things will work themselves out. It may be a long time coming, but things will get better, and eventually they will even be great. You cannot give up hope no matter how bad things get."

"How bad are they going to get?" I couldn't hide the fear that seeped through in my voice.

"Pretty bad." I was about to ask her what exactly was going to happen, but she held up her hand to silence me. "I can't give you the details. I can't protect you from the impact the near future will have on you. All I can do right now is give you hope."

Suddenly, she looked very disoriented and her eyebrows scrunched up. "Look," she continued. "My time is up for now. I will be back when you need me most. Just remember to not give up. Never, ever give up. You have a lot to look forward to. You just have to believe in that and trust me. I won't betray you."

Before I could get out another word, Cai vanished.

_**So, I was trying to grasp Edward's personality from before he was all angst and masocisim, don't know if I got it but I tried. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed and please review.**_


	4. Elizabeth and Carlisle

Hello. I just want to let everyone know that the outfits for this story are and always will be (unless I forget) posted on my profile. I guess that's just the Alice in me. Hehe.

_**Chapter 4 - Elizabeth and Carlisle**_

_**One minute I was standing in a park in 1918 Chicago talking to a boy who had long since passed away, and the next I felt a tingle go down my spine before, plop, I land on my ass in the meadow. At least the I figured out what the tingle was and I could brace myself for it next time. I cursed a blue streak as I also realized that even though I was dead, my butt still hurt when I fell on it.**_

_**I was still sitting on the ground when Destiny walked up. She cocked one of her perfectly arched eyebrows at me and I found myself wondering if she plucked them. I somehow doubted it.**_

"_**Is there any way to make this traveling stuff a bit more…I don't know how to put this. Can I upgrade from riding in the cargo hold to coach, cause that's kinda what this feels like?" I tried to not sound whiney but I don't think I succeeded because Destiny just lifted the other brow to line up with the first.**_

"_**It doesn't exactly work like that, Cai," she said. "There is only one way to go through time. Now if you're done being picky, we have work to do."**_

_**I nodded and rose up from the ground, pausing briefly to wipe the grass off my backside.**_

"_**So what's next?" I asked. "It doesn't seem like that visit would have changed much of anything."**_

"_**It didn't, and it wasn't supposed to. I just wanted to begin to get Edward used to your presence. Our next step is to make sure that he becomes a vampire."**_

_**Her words hit me like freezing cold water and my head shot up. "Wait just a damn minute," I said. "Do you mean to tell me that I am going through all of this to pave the way for some blood sucking monster?"**_

_**Destiny somehow managed to stay patient with me after my little outburst. "Do you remember the first name on the list that I gave you, Carlisle Cullen?" I nodded and she continued. "He is the one who was supposed to turn Edward. Edward was going to learn Carlisle's ways and sustain himself off of animals. He will go through a rocky period, but that will help to create the man that he needs to become."**_

"_**Oh, I guess that changes things." It did too. I had great respect for Carlisle when I read about him and I hoped that I could change his fate. A man like him didn't deserve to die. "Let's get this show on the road, then. What do we need to do this time."**_

"_**Well," Destiny looked me up and down, obviously assessing my appearance. "This time you will be in a public place, so I can't have you go in like that."**_

_**I looked down at my jeans and leather jacket. "No, I suppose not."**_

_**Destiny snapped her finger and suddenly my whole outfit changed. I found myself in a deep blue long sleeved dress that came down to just above my ankles. The collared top billowed out and came back in, to be fitted at the waist. The skirt was made up of two layers, one shorter than the other. My legs were incased in black stockings and my feet were crammed into shoes that I was sure would be killing me in about in hour. My red hair was pinned up and tucked under a hat that looked absolutely ridiculous. Then again, I thought all hats from that time period were ridiculous. All in all, I was in a very nice outfit, especially for the time.**_

_**Destiny seemed to notice the question in my eyes as she spoke up before I could ask it. "People from that time period tend to let high society do what they want to. If you look like this, no one should bother you about being in the hospital."**_

_**After a moment of silence, Destiny spoke up with my instructions. "Start by talking to Elizabeth Masen, Edward's mother. If that doesn't work, you'll have to go directly to Carlisle. I don't want to go to him unless you have to, as he will be able to smell the fact that you're not exactly human anymore."**_

"_**What do you mean?" I squeaked. "Do I smell bad now or something?"**_

"_**No, no! You just won't smell like food to a vampire. He may not feed on humans but he will still pick up on it. Just be prepared for that if you have to talk to him directly." She paused for a moment. "Are you ready?"**_

"_**Yep."**_

_**Chicago, IL - December 1918**_

_**This was, by far, the most depressing place I had ever been in. Along both walls people lay in cots at various stages of dying. Doctors and nurses hurried to and fro and I saw one nurse cover a young woman with a sheet before she turned away. A few moments later, someone else loaded her body onto a gurney and wheeled her away.**_

_**I had to fight to keep myself from crying. It would serve no purpose, and I had a job to do. **_

_**As I walked through the halls, few people paid me any attention. Those that did were quick to dismiss my presence.**_

_**It took awhile, but I finally found Edward. I moved to sit by his bedside and I grabbed the cloth that was sitting in a basin of water by his bedside. As I rung out the cloth and applied it to his hot forehead, I noticed how different he looked. His skin was beyond pale and slightly gray and his bronze hair was plastered to his head and dull. As I wiped the sweat from his face he opened his eyes briefly to look at me. The already bright green was now practically glowing with fever and I couldn't stop the tear that escaped me. He looked like he was about to say something, but his exhaustion took over and he passed back out.**_

_**I put the cloth back in the basin and looked to the cot next to his. It was obvious it was Elizabeth Masen. She had the same bronze hair and the same green eyes that were currently staring at me curiously.**_

"_**Can you save my son," she whispered to me.**_

_**I closed my eyes briefly to collect myself. Then I sat down on the edge of her cot and picked up her cold, clammy hand and held it. "I can't, but I know who can."**_

_**I could tell she doubted me, so I continued. "There is more than meets the eye to Dr. Cullen. He can give your son another chance at life, though it is not the one that you expect. I can't tell you exactly what, but I can tell you this. One day he is going to meet a beautiful young woman with dark hair, and the love that they will share will be the kind that people write stories about. There is happiness in his future. But you have to ask Dr. Cullen and only Dr. Cullen to use whatever**_** means necessary to save your son. Can you do that?"**

**I saw the hope light up in her eyes and she nodded. I pushed a lock of her hair away from her eyes as I stood up. I went around the corner and watched the Masens. It didn't take long until a very attractive doctor came to her bedside. His blonde hair was smoothed back from his pale face and his eyes were a shade of golden brown, that was as eerie as it was beautiful. My guess was he was Dr. Carlisle Cullen.**

**As much as I wanted to watch the interaction, I knew that if I stayed Carlisle would sense me. With great reluctance, I pushed off the wall and walked to the front door of the hospital. I decided that since I had to wait anyway, I might as well give my feet a break from the killer shoes.**

**Chicago in December, regardless of the year, is freaking cold. However, after being inside that hospital, that was quickly turning into a tomb, the clean cold air was welcome.**

**It wasn't long that I sat there before the wind began to pick up. It blew by me and picked up the loosely packed snow that covered the ground. The white crystals seemed to just hover in the air before they began to swirl around me. It was then that I noticed that none of the trees around me were moving. This odd wind was completely centered around me and nowhere else.**

"**I take it this means I need to go visit Dr. Cullen," I said to no one in particular. As soon as the words left my mouth, the wind stopped and the snow fell back to the ground. I stood up and brushed off what snow had landed on my skirt. "I'll take that as a yes then."**

**I walked back into the hospital and tried to figure out where I was suppose to go in order to find him. I figured he must have some kind of office somewhere, so I began walking the halls and reading the signs on the doors.**

**Finally, after making it to the third floor, and after walking a hell of a lot of hallways, I found it.**

**Taking a deep breath, I knocked tentatively on the pine door. Almost immediately I heard a soft, "come in."**

**I poked my head in the door to see Carlisle bent over something. I cleared my throat. "Dr. Cullen."**

**Carlisle looked up at me curiously for a moment. His nostrils flared slightly as he took in my scent. His curiosity instantly shifted to confusion at my scent. I decided not to play around with him and just tell him why. I figured if he was a vampire, why couldn't I be whatever the hell I was.**

"**My name is Cai Drake. I'm basically dead, hence the peculiar scent."**

**Carlisle's eyes widened impressively and I was pretty sure that if his jaw fell anymore I would have to go find a spatula to help get it off the floor. Finally, he seemed to find his vocal cords again.**

"**How…why…how…wha…how?"**

"**As for how I'm standing here, I'm not really sure. What I am…nope, not sure on that one either. The why I'm here however, that I can answer."**

**He never took his eyes off of me as I took the chair on the opposite side of his desk. I decided to cut right to the chase. "You have to save Edward Masen."**

**Carlisle closed his eyes for a moment and took his own deep, albeit unnecessary, breath, as if to gather his emotions. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "I'm doing everything I can to help Edward and his mother, but this disease is powerful. I don't think that I can save them."**

"**I know that Dr. Cullen. I wasn't referring to saving him by medical, or even human means."**

**Realization dawned on him. "You're asking me to turn him into a vampire?"**

"**That's exactly what I'm asking."**

"**I don't know. I've considered it but there are so many questions. What if he isn't able to stick to animal blood the way I do? What if he doesn't want this life? What if he ends up as alone as I've been all these years?"**

**I knew I couldn't erase his worries without giving too much away, but I hoped to help ease them some. "I know what lies far ahead, and the outlook is good, for Edward at least. On top of that, if you don't change him, fate will go so off course that lives will be unnecessarily destroyed. Your life is Edward's fate, at this point, it doesn't matter if he wants this or not. At the end of the day, he needs it, and so do you and a lot of other people."**

**Carlisle covered his eyes with his hand while the information I had given him sank in. "Alright. Elizabeth begged me to save him anyways, it was like she knew. I guess you had something to do with that."**

**I just smirked at him. I was never I good liar, so I wasn't even going to bother. "I didn't give her any specifics. So, are you going to do it?"**

**Carlisle nodded.**

**The deep tingle alerted me to the fact that I had succeeded. With nothing more to do here, I stood up and headed for the door.**

"**Miss Drake?"**

**I looked back at Carlisle.**

"**Just out of curiosity," he said. "Will you be popping back up again."**

**I flashed him a huge smile. "Oh, I think you can place your bets on that one." I walked out the door and at the same time the door clicked shut, I fell into the void that led back to the meadow.**

_**And thank again to SparklingTwilight for editing. I'm the queen of stupid mistakes. She has a new story up called Tides of Destiny. It's a nice tropical and lemony B&E story. So remember; reviews make Star very happy.**_


	5. Angels and Shadows

_**I posted this chapter earlier, but this one is edited.**_

Chapter 5 - Angels and Shadows

I looked around for Destiny and found her sitting on the ground just a few feet in front of me. She looked like she was concentrating very hard on something, so I figured I would just wait.

I sat down on the ground and took off the murderous shoes and tossed them as far as I could. After a few more minutes of waiting, I removed the hat and pins as well.

Destiny still sat there like a statue, head bent forward so that her long silvery hair created a curtain that obscured her face. This was starting to annoy me. I wanted to know if Edward's life was back on track so I could get back to mine.

I couldn't help the condescending snort I gave to myself. My life. A constant circle of class, research, ferry rides, and sleep that was only interrupted every Tuesday by pizza and beer with Sarah. I couldn't even remember the last time I had a date, never mind having anything more than my bike between my legs. Maybe Sarah was right, I needed to get out more. If I managed to set everything straight and somehow got my life back, I was calling Sarah and heading over to Seattle for some fun.

Destiny finally looked up and the dark look in her eyes told me that things were still not right. "We're not done yet, are we?" I asked.

"I'm sorry Cai, I was trying get a read on what is doing this, but I can't see it. We need to step it up to get around it. I'm going to send you on two trips back to back one to 1931 and the next to 1933."

"So what do I need to do."

"You need to be an angel."

Boston, MA - August 1931

EPOV

_I think she went this way. Trying to get away from me I see. She won't get far. I know she wants it._

I was hiding in the shadows of a doorway down a back alley when the girl ran by me trying to flee from her attacker. She couldn't have been any more than 14 years old. The heat of the summer, along with her terror, made her scent almost irresistible. But it wasn't her that I wanted. I was hunting the predator that stalked her.

I watched as she came to the fence at the end of the alley and realized that she was trapped. She spun around to watch her attacker with wide terrified eyes. She thought there was no way out. She thought that there was no one to help her. Where was an angel when she needed one? Well, I guess she was just going to have to settle for a vigilante vampire.

Just as the man approached where I was standing I stepped out into the alleyway, blocking his path.

_Who the hell does this little punk think he is. _I look him dead in the eye and smiled. _What the…he isn't human!_

My back was to the girl so I couldn't see her, but her thoughts reached me. At first I thought she was thinking of me, but she wasn't.

_Is that an angel. She's so pretty._

Her thoughts were followed by a woman's voice. "Run girl, get out of here and go home where it's safe."

The voice sounded vaguely familiar and I tried to place it as I heard the girl's footsteps run past me. I also couldn't place the also familiar scent of jasmine and gardenias that was in the air. It smelled nice because there was no burn in my throat. It was odd.

I couldn't turn around right now, so I pushed the guy into the doorway that I had been standing in and quickly snapped his neck. I turned around to face the mysterious voice.

There was a woman standing in the alley wearing a light ice blue satin gown with a heavy black cape draped over her arm. It took me a minute to place her, but her wine red hair wasn't easy to forget.

"Cai?"

"It's good to see you again, Edward." She walked towards me and put a hand on my arm to lead me back up the alley. I noticed that her hand wasn't as warm as it should be, but not as cold as me either. "Let's have a little chat, shall we?"

I nodded as I let her lead the way onto the main road. We walked a few miles in silence until we came to a nearby empty diner. Considering the country was currently in a depression, the emptiness wasn't all that surprising. The only people inside were the waitress, the cook, and one old man sitting in a booth. Cai and I took a booth as far away from him as possible and ordered food that I didn't think either of us would actually be eating.

"So," I began with my most pressing question. "What the hell are you?"

Cai gave me a sad smile. "I don't really know. What do you call a dead human that technically hasn't even been born yet. One who gets recruited by Destiny herself and can jump through time like Rip Van Winkle."

I just blinked at her for a moment. At first I was going to call her out, but then I thought about. The way she was dressed that day 13 years ago. The fact that she looked exactly the same now as she did then. That her skin had a scent but her blood didn't. And finally, what she had said that day in Chicago. "You lied to me," I accused.

She raised one of her eyebrows at me. "No I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You said everything was going to work out. Well, it hasn't. Everything has gone to hell."

"I told you everything was going to be bad for a while before it all worked out. The road is long and you've barely started walking it."

"What the hell is at the end of this road."

"I don't think I can tell you."

"Give me something to look forward to."

Cai closed her eyes for a minute. I could tell she was giving in when her shoulders slumped a bit. "Long brown hair, large chocolate eyes, and a tendency to trip over everything and nothing."

"Vampires don't trip."

"Who said it was a vampire."

I tried to read her mind, but I guess since she wasn't actually alive, I got nothing. "You're crazy," I said.

"It's entirely probable," she shot back.

For the first time in as long as I could remember, I laughed. Her comeback wasn't one I was expecting. I wished that she could stay here. I could feel the connection between us. It wasn't the connection of a mate, but that of a friend. "So, if Destiny recruited you, I guess there is a reason for your being here."

"There is. It's time for you to go home, Edward."

I pinched the bridge of my nose when I heard that. It was something I had been contemplating for awhile, but to be honest, I was scared. "What if Carlisle takes one look at what I've become and turns me away. I don't think I could handle that."

Cai reached over and pulled my hand away from my face. "He won't. Carlisle loves you. To him you are his son. If you ask him to forgive you, he will. I guarantee that."

I looked into Cai's large hazel eyes and so no doubt there. I also found that I could trust her implicitly. "I'll leave tonight."

She flashed a relieved smile at me. We sat there for a minute longer when she suddenly looked up. "Time to go?" I asked.

"It would appear that way."

We stood up at the same time and I gave her hug. "You take care of yourself. Until next time."

"Bye, Edward."

I released her and watched as she headed for the door. Since the gown she wore had no back, I saw something written there in ancient Greek. I stored it away in my memory to look into later. I recognized the language, but I couldn't actually translate it.

I continued to watch as she faded with each step away from the diner, followed by a dark shadow in the shape of a man.

I ran out the door, but both Cai and the shadow were gone.

Rochester, NY - January 1933

Cai POV

I found myself standing at the edge of a snow covered street, and it was freaking cold. Now I knew why Destiny gave me the cape. I flung it around myself while I walked up the street in search of Rosalie Hale.

I wish Destiny could have sent me here sooner and stopped her attack from happening, but she wouldn't. Rosalie's destiny hinged on her attack. I knew things had to be set right, but that didn't mean I had to like it. No one deserved to have this happen to them.

I walked for about five minutes when I heard it. A soft whimpering coming from the walkway between two buildings. I quickly went into the space and gasped at the sight.

Rosalie was lying on the ground and in obvious pain. Her dress was torn and hung limply from her arms, leaving her completely exposed to the freezing cold air. Her golden blonde hair was spread out across the snow and her skin was covered with various cuts and bruises. She wasn't going to last long.

I got down on the ground beside her and pulled her shivering form onto my lap so that she was leaning against my chest, and wrapped the cape around both of us to try and keep her somewhat warm.

She tilted to the side and I ended up having to cradle her head in my left arm like you would an infant. I couldn't help the tears that escaped me while I pushed her hair away from her ravaged face so it wouldn't stick to the open wounds.

She opened her almost violet eyes and looked up at me. "Help me," she croaked.

"Help is coming, Rosalie. You just have to fight a little longer."

"Who…are…you?" It was obviously a struggle for her to get the words out.

"Shhh. My name is Cai. Try not to talk, but don't close your eyes."

A minute later I saw a figure jump of the building at the end of the walkway, landing with the grace of a cat. I sighed in relief. "Carlisle."

"Cai," he said, obviously surprised. "If you're here, I guess that means I'm supposed to be here."

I smiled slightly in affirmation. Carlisle stepped forward and gently took Rosalie from me, lifting her easily into her arms. "How could someone do this?" I could see his shock and disappointment with the human race.

"I don't know, Carlisle. I wish I could have stopped it but my hands are tied." I couldn't help the wash of guilt at not being able to save her this pain.

"It's not your fault, Cai. Edward explained everything to me. You're a good woman."

"Thank you."

Suddenly we both sensed that we were no longer alone. I looked past Carlisle and he looked in the same direction. At the end of the walkway, an inhuman shadow was shifting as if looking for an opening.

"Get her out of here, Carlisle."

"What about you."

"I'm already dead. What's it going to do. Just save Rosalie."

Carlisle gave me a look that said he hated to leave me there, before he tightened his grip on Rose and jumped up onto the roof of the building.

Me and the strange shadow seemed to watch each other for a moment. Before I could even blink, it went from stationary to charging right at me. I tried to side step it, but I wasn't fast enough.

It hit me and we went slamming into the brick wall of the building. Pain shot through me and I would have fallen to the ground if the figure hadn't still had a hold of my upper arms.

I opened my eyes to find myself staring in to a pair of deadly orange eyes. The color reminded me of the fiery flames of hell. The being then spun me around and tossed me like a damn discus. I sailed through the air and just as I was about to hit the ground, I felt the world shift and I landed right into Destiny's arms in the meadow.

_**Star likes reviews.**_


	6. Demons and Friends

Chapter 6 - Demons and Friends

_It hit me and we went slamming into the brick wall of the building. Pain shot through me and I would have fallen to the ground if the figure hadn't still had a hold of my upper arms._

_I opened my eyes to find myself staring in to a pair of deadly orange eyes. The color reminded me of the fiery flames of hell. The being then spun me around and tossed me like a damn discus. I sailed through the air and just as I was about to hit the ground, I felt the world shift and I landed right into Destiny's arms in the meadow._

Cai POV

"What the hell was that?" I yelled. Something had attacked me and frankly, my back hurt like hell from slamming into the bricks.

Destiny steadied me as I spun around to look at her. Her face held a combination of fear, worry, and concern. "I don't know. I felt that you were in danger and pulled you out as fast as I could. What happened back there? Did Carlisle get Rosalie?"

"Barely, almost as soon as I handed her over this...thing...appeared. It attacked me so fast I couldn't even get out of the way."

"What did it look like?"

"It was all black, shadow-like, but solid. The only color was it's eyes. They were orange, like a flame."

Destiny backed away and brought a hand up to her mouth. I watched as she began pacing back and forth across the meadow. I was slightly annoyed with her for knowing something and not sharing, but she looked deep in thought. I hoped she was coming up with a way to deal with this thing because I had the distinct feeling that it could kill me. Well, more dead than I was already, anyway.

Destiny suddenly froze and her hands balled up at her sides. She stalked back over to me and I saw that that her face was a portrait of determination and rage. That look made me realize that while she may look angelic, Destiny was not one whose bad side you wanted to be on.

"I know what it is," she said when she made it back to me. "It's a Dargon Demon. They are summoned by someone and sent back through time to change something, and they are always used to destroy. However, like you, they have to start at one point and can only move forward from there. Once the demon catches up to whenever they were summoned from, they go back into the ether. What I can't figure out is that they can only be summoned once by one person. My guess is that someone sent it back the first time to make everything go wrong and then when you started to set it right they got someone else to summon one a second time to try and stop you. All we can do is continue what we are doing and try to fend it off, there's no way to actually kill it since it has no corporeal body."

"So someone was trying to destroy the Cullens in the most thorough way possible, by never allowing them to come together in the first place," I reasoned.

"That would be my guess. I don't think they truly realized the connection between Bella and Edward. If it wasn't for their souls crying out, I would never have picked up on it."

"Can this Dargon Demon kill me the rest of the way." That was what I _really_ wanted to know.

"No. You are dead. It can hurt you, but it can't kill you or keep you from coming back here."

"Thank whoever is up above for that one."

"Yes, but it can distract you enough to keep you from doing what needs to be done."

I thought about that for a minute. "Is there anyway to fend it off?"

"These things feed of fear, it's why they are so destructive. If you remember that it can't kill you, and you kill your fear of it, you'll weaken it. As it realizes this, it will come to fear you. In the meantime, you have to take your next step in time."

"Who's up next? I noticed we skipped Esme."

"Carlisle was already in love with her, so he didn't question turning her. Also, I don't believe the second demon was summoned yet, so it didn't manipulate anything yet." Destiny waved her hand and my clothing changed back into my jeans, tank top, and jacket. "You're going into the woods so no extra people will see you."

I smiled at the comfort of my regular jeans and nodded.

"It's time to save Emmett McCarty."

Tennessee Mountains

April 2, 1935

Springtime in these mountains was beautiful. New grass was springing up and the trees were covered with baby leaves and buds waiting to bloom. Around me, I could hear the sound of animals moving around, starting new lives after months of hibernation. This was a place of new life and I wouldn't let some damn demon make it a place of death.

Right on schedule, I saw Rose running through the trees to my left in the just the direction that would take her to where Emmett would be.

I was just about to watch everything take its own course when suddenly a shadow began to form between the trees to my right. Rose stopped and was about to take off in the opposite direction. It was time to work.

I stepped forward and yelled out, "Rosalie, stop!"

She turned back around and looked at me with a mixture of shock and confusion.

"I'll deal with this," I said. "Go around him and continue in the direction you were heading. There's someone waiting for you up ahead."

I guessed saving her before earned me some trust because she made a wide arch and blasted forward into the trees. I saw the Dargon shifting from side to side out the corner of my eye, so I turned to face it head on.

I kept my stance relaxed but my face a hard, unforgiving mask. A breeze blew a bit of hair into my face but I made no move to push it away.

The demon charged forward, but I didn't flinch. I thought it was about to hit me, but it suddenly stopped about 10 feet away. I locked my eyes with the flame orange of the demon's and held it. Unexpectedly, the demon let out a bone shattering screech, but I still held steady.

I wouldn't fear this thing. I was stronger than it was. We both had goals that didn't mesh, but at the end of day, I would win.

It stared at me for a few more moments, then shot up towards the sky and out of sight. I wasn't sure if it was actually gone or not so I began to run through the woods in the direction the Rosalie had gone.

Shortly after, I found her leaning over the brutalized form of a man. He was in obvious pain and when I saw the body of a bear a few feet away, I knew that this man was Emmett.

Even lying down and bloody, his size was enough to be intimidating. But his large brown eyes and soft curls that Rose was brushing back from his forehead lent him an innocent quality.

Rose looked up at me, her topaz eyes were bright with tears that she couldn't shed. "I don't want to let him die, but I don't want to condemn him to this life either. What am I supposed to do?"

I knelt down on the opposite side of Emmett and grabbed one of Rose's ice cold hand in mine. "Don't follow your mind and doubts with this one, Rosalie. Follow your heart and take him to Carlisle. Emmett will hold nothing against any of you for this, in fact, he's going to love you for it."

Rose smiled faintly at me as she gathered the large man in her arms and ran towards the north.

I watched after her and waited for the tingle that said I was done here, but it didn't come.

What the hell was going on?

EPOV

I had been hunting with Rose, when I realized something was wrong. I had picked up Rose's sudden fear and then her thoughts had been blocked from me.

I knew she wasn't dead because I could still sense her mind, I just couldn't read it.

As I followed her scent, I realized there was only one reason that I knew of that I couldn't read her mind. Cai was here.

I finally found Rose and Cai bent over the body of a man who had been attacked my a bear. I listened as Cai told Rose to take her to Carlisle. I couldn't help but be impressed by Rose's restraint with all the blood around, but it told me one thing. Rose had found her mate and I was once again the odd man out. Sometimes my existence really sucked.

I continued to watch as Cai waited for something, probably to go back to wherever it was she popped in and out of. I watched as her temper rose as nothing happened. And finally, I watched as she started to scream up at the sky.

"Whoever the hell is up there, what are you waiting for?" she screamed. "I fixed everything here so why don't you just move me on to the next thing? Hurry up so I can help these people and live again!"

She stopped and turned slightly. It was then I noticed the tears streaming down her face. She fell to her knees and burned her face in her hands. I knew I just couldn't leave her like that after everything she'd been through to help me and my family.

I stepped out from behind the bushes and silently made my approach to her. Just as I about to reach her I heard her whisper into her hands. "I just want to live again. I don't want to die all alone."

Before I could even think of stopping myself, I wrapped my arms around her and held on. I couldn't remember the last time I had been this close to someone.

Cai raised her hazel eyes to me, then buried her face into my chest as she cried even harder. I rocked her back and forth and watched the sun sink into the horizon as she let out all the pain she had been holding for who knows how long.

As twilight spread across the sky, Cai quieted down and sat back. She gave me a half smile and touched the back of my hand.

"Thank you, Edward. I'm sorry, you shouldn't have had to deal with that."

"I don't mind. I owe you, my family owes you, and I'm sure that before all is said and done we will owe you even more. I only hope that one day we will find the way to repay you."

Cai didn't answer, but nodded slightly. I decided to tell her what she needed to hear, not only because she needed it, but because it was the truth.

"As long as I'm still walking around, you have a friend."

Cai wrapped her arms around my shoulders and I hugged her back. It wasn't long before I was holding nothing but air.


	7. Vampires and Ghosts

Chapter 7 – Vampires and Ghosts

Cai POV

I fell forward into the suddenly empty space before me. Edward was gone and I was back in the damn meadow. I had to say that it didn't look as pretty when one is face down in the dirt. Can't say it tasted too good either.

I spat out the crap the ended up in my mouth and was starting to push myself up when I heard Destiny scream for me to move. I rolled to the left just as the Dargon slammed into the ground where I had just been lying. Faster than I realized I could move, I shot to my feet and ran to the far side of the meadow where Destiny was staring at me with wide eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" I yelled.

"No time to explain, you have to get the hell out of here! Get Alice and Jasper together!"

Before I could even form a reply, she shoved something in my jacket pocket, and I landed ass first in a particularly hard and smelly alleyway.

New York City

March 23, 1954

"Damn it all to hell," I cursed. I leaned back against the damp alley wall in order to get my bearings and wait for my tailbone to stop throbbing from my less than graceful landing.

I realized I had no idea when or where I was, but it was definitely cold and smelled awful. I knew I was somehow supposed to help Alice and Jasper, but I had no idea how. I fished whatever it was that Destiny put in my pocket back out. I found a small, folded piece of yellow paper. The faint blue lines identified it as being torn from a legal pad. I briefly wondered where the hell Destiny found a legal pad.

Shrugging, I unfolded the paper and read what was written.

Melrose Diner

South Philadelphia

March 24 at 3:30pm

I closed my eyes in aggravation. This really didn't help much. And what the hell was that smell?

"How about telling me where the hell I am!" I yelled to no one.

"That would me New York City, Ma'am."

My eyes shot open to see a tall, blonde vampire leaning against the wall across from me. Judging by the scars I could just make out I was guessing this was Jasper. His eyes were almost black, but I could just make out the red tint to them. He was definitely hungry.

I rose to my feet, brushing off my backside as I did so. I saw Jasper shift just slightly. He really must be hungry to contemplate eating me; I didn't even smell like food. For the first time I noticed a dumpster off to the left. I guess that explained the god-awful stench and why Jasper seemed to think I was lunch.

"First of all, Jasper, my name is Cai not ma'am. That makes me feel old. Second, I'm not actually edible so stop looking at me like I'm a frickin' hamburger." I knew I sounded a bit like a bitch, but my ass really hurt and the dumpster really smelled. I think I was picking up on rotten seafood. Maybe I was behind and seafood restaurant. I know it wasn't really relevant, but it was really bugging me.

I watched his mouth move a few times. He was obviously trying to find some words for this particular situation. I would have been funny if I wasn't currently in a very pissed off sort of mood. I decided to help him out of his stupefied state.

"Let's just say that you're not the only dead being in this alley, fish not included." I said. "What's today's date?"

Jasper was still looking at me like a might sprout a few extra heads, but at least he was able to answer my question. "March 23."

"Okay," I thought for a minute how to approach this one. He seemed a bit on edge. "I know things. I know you were born in Texas and joined the Confederate Army. I know that you're a vampire and that feeding on humans is taking a serious toll on your psyche. I also know how to help you before you completely snap."

Before I could react, Jasper had me by the throat and pinned up against the alley wall. The impact made me hit my already bruised tailbone. I guess that was the wrong approach. I really needed to start this whole round all over again.

"Who the hell are you?" He snarled at me. His eyes had turned solid black and I knew I should be afraid, but I was just really annoyed.

I looked Jasper dead in the eye. "Look Soldier Boy, I'm hear to help you before you snap in about 20 years and the Volturi have to put your sorry ass down. Now let go of me so I can tell you were you need to be. You've got a ways to travel and not a whole hell of a lot of time to do it."

He seemed to consider this for a minute. When he still didn't move I spoke again. "Someone is waiting for you. She'll be the best thing that ever happened or will happen to you. And for the record, I may be dead, but I still feel pain so if you would please let me go, I'd greatly appreciate it."

Jasper released me and took a few steps back. I rubbed my sore tailbone as I stepped away from the wall.

Jasper stood a few feet away from me with his hands in his pockets and his head down. His blond curls fell forward and obscured his face from me. I could tell he was genuinely sorry for his reaction. I knew I couldn't leave him feeling like this.

I walked up to him and leaned down so I could see his face. When I didn't get any reaction, I put a hand on each cheek and lifted his face up so he had to look at me. "I get it," I said. "You're used to having to attack before the other person does. I don't blame you for it. You're just doing what you've always had to do in order to survive." I gave him a small smile before I handed him the slip of paper. He took it carefully from my fingers as though he was afraid to hurt me.

I gave him another smile before I faded away.

Philadelphia, PA

March 24, 1954

I sat in the back booth of Melrose Diner and watched the pixie-like vampire sitting at the counter. Every couple of minutes her golden eyes would flash up to the clock before they went blank for a moment.

The clock currently read 4:13pm.

I saw Alice hop off the stool and reach for her purse. Before she could leave the counter, I rushed up to her and put a hand on her small shoulder. She spun around to look at me, obviously surprised. I guess for whatever reason she couldn't see me.

"Just give him a few more minutes," I said.

She looked me inquisitively before she nodded and sat back on the stool. As I walked out of the diner, I couldn't help but wish that Jasper would listen so well.

Speaking of the vampire, he was across the street pacing back and forth on the sidewalk, in the rain, like a damn loon. I looked both ways and dashed across the street. Jasper looked up at me as I ducked into the doorway of a closed store on the other side of him.

"She's waiting for you, you know," I said.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely, you better get going. The future won't wait forever."

He gave me a true smile and I understood why the little pixie was going to fall in love with him. I smiled back and kept smiling as I watched him jog across the street to the diner.

I felt Destiny start to pull me back. "Just wait a minute," I said, and the tingling stopped.

About ten minutes later, I watched as Jasper and Alice walked out of the diner hand in hand. They stopped when they saw me and started to cross the street.

I just smiled and disappeared.

The Meadow

I reappeared in the meadow to find Destiny standing in the middle breathing heavily.

"What happened?" I asked as I ran up to her.

She took a deep breath and pushed her white-blonde hair back off her face. "The Dargon followed you back somehow. In this place he could have killed you. That's why I sent you out of here the way that I did. I kept it busy for a while so it couldn't follow you. It stayed in here long enough that I think it got confused. You should be okay for a few more leaps before it figures out where it has to go. We are going to have to speed things up though."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I figured out who summoned it and from when."

Portland, OR

August 17, 1995

Edward POV

There are not too many cloudy days this time of year, so I found myself making the most of it. For my kind, this was the perfect day. The clouds blocked out the sun, but there was no rain. Alice said the sun wouldn't make an appearance for about 3 more hours, so I decided to sit on one of the benches in the city park.

I was just about to leave when a little girl with a white baseball hat tripped on the sidewalk to my right. I didn't smell any blood so I got up and helped her to her feet.

I knelt down to make sure she was alright. As I did so I found myself looking into a pair of familiar hazel eyes. It took me a minute to find my voice.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She nodded her head, which caused a little piece of wine colored hair to fall from under her hat and curl down under her chin.

"Thank you," she said as she darted off to where a woman with light brown hair waited for her.

As the little girl reached woman, I felt Carlisle step to my side.

"Edward, you look like you've seen a ghost," he said.

"I did." I pointed towards the little girl walked away from us. "Cai."


	8. Friends and Enemies

Chapter 8 – Friends and Enemies

Denali National Park and Reserve

January 11, 2005

Cai POV

It was a good thing I was already dead, because I was freezing. Winter in Alaska is not what I would call a good time. On the bright side, I was in the home stretch. Only two more leaps after this and I would be home free. Plus, being in a decade I actually existed during kind of put me in a good mood. Too bad there wasn't anything but snow to look at while I waited for Edward to show up.

Back at the meadow, Destiny had given me the low down on what I had left to do. With any luck the Dargon would stay all confuddled and not show, but I doubted it. At least now I knew who to blame for that now. Unfortunately, I had to keep it to myself for the time being.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a dark blur coming into my field of vision. It was about time. My essentially non-existent fingers and toes were starting to go numb.

"EDWARD!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I really didn't want him running right past me in case he wasn't paying attention to what was around him. There was no way in hell I would be able to catch up to him. Plus, I had no idea were he was going so I wouldn't be able to find him later.

The blur stopped briefly and then took off again in my direction. Edward stopped suddenly, only he stopped so damn close it surprised the hell out of me and I ended up falling backwards on my ass, again. At least this time it was on fluffy snow, therefore not further bruising my poor tailbone. Damn stinky alleyways.

Edward pulled me up and right into his arms for a hug. It was nice to see him, but he didn't help my freezing situation. Still, I hugged him back.

"God Cai, it is good to see you after all this time. I heard Alice and Jasper saw you about 50 years ago, but nothing since. I was worried." Edward stepped back and held me at arms length. "You look exactly the same."

I laughed. "I'm dead. Did you really expect me to change?"

He just shrugged and gave me a crooked smile.

I decided to cut right to the chase, maybe because I was so cold. "You need to go home, Edward."

His smile fell into a frown and his arms fell to his side. "I'm guessing this has something to do with the Swan girl."

"Her name is Bella."

"What does it matter? She's just a human girl."

"You know as well as I do that that's a load of horseshit."

Edward gave me a look that I was really sick of seeing lately. I threw my hands up in the air in aggravation. "Why the hell does everyone look at me like I'm f-ing nuts? Haven't y'all figured out by now that I know what I'm talking about?" My arms came back down with a slap against my thighs.

Edward then actually had the nerve to look amused. I rolled my eyes. Not very mature, I know, but it felt like the thing to do.

After a few moments Edward folded his arms across his chest and looked at me with all seriousness. "Okay Cai, you're right. What is it that I'm supposed to do?"

"Turn your very attractive ass around and go home."

Forks, WA

January 13, 2005

I wasn't supposed to be here. I guess I was detoured.

I found myself standing at the far end of an icy parking lot. Teenagers were getting out of cars and carrying backpacks. I looked at the sign; Forks High School. This couldn't be good.

Then I noticed several things happen at once. It was like slow motion.

Squealing tires…

Bella's shocked face…

Edward running…

The Dargon trying to intercept him…

Shit!

I took off across the lot. Lucky for me everyone was too busy paying attention to the sliding van to notice me and the demon.

I jumped up on the hood of car right in the Dargon's path. It noticed me and stopped. We stared at each other for a moment. Behind me I heard the crunch of metal and the demon vanished. Apparently, I had distracted it long enough for Edward to get to Bella.

I turned around and saw that I hadn't gone completely unnoticed. Four sets of shocked golden eyes were fixed on me standing on the hood of the car.

I wondered how long they stared after I vanished.

February 20, 2005

Edward POV

I was in love with Bella Swan.

The slightest sliver of dawn was starting to show over the horizon as I walked home at a human pace. There was no need to rush. School wouldn't start for a few hours yet and I needed to think.

I was in love with a human.

I had just gone to her house to check on her, make sure she was safe, but the sound of her talking in her sleep compelled me to stay. Those unguarded thoughts lured me almost as much as the smell of her blood did. As I sat in the rocking chair watching her sleep it hit me like a meteor impacts the earth.

I was completely and irrevocably in love with her.

Somehow, my mind was completely calm and in complete chaos at the same time. Everything about me was suddenly different, yet exactly the same.

I was still lost in my musings when I picked up a familiar scent. Human, but not quite human; Cai.

Sure enough, there she was. She was sitting cross-legged on fallen tree just off the trail looking so much like a mischievous little wood nymph. If I wasn't mistaken she was even looking a bit smug.

"I take it you know about my little epiphany," I remarked.

She slid off the tree and came to stand in front of me. "Of course I do. I'm the errand girl of Destiny," she replied pointed to herself for emphasis.

She nodded down the trail and for a while we walked in comfortable silence. Spending time with Cai was nice. She wasn't a hyper as Alice or as vain as Rosalie. I could walk beside her and say nothing; there was no need to fill the silence. I knew I could talk to her and she would make no demands and pass no judgment. If I had to pick someone out of my whole existence to name as my best friend, it would be her.

Unfortunately, I knew time was running out. I figured the Cai I met in the park in Portland all those years ago would now be about 17 or 18. The Cai that been visiting me sporadically over the last century was somewhere in her early twenties. Time was catching up to itself.

As much as I wanted to prolong my time with her, I knew there was always a reason behind Cai's presence.

"So what brings you here?" I asked finally breaking the silence.

She stopped and cocked her head at me. "This time I'm here to let you know that you are on the right track. You are meant to love her. Don't doubt yourself."

"Why would I doubt myself?"

"You will."

As the words left her mouth a saw her take a quick glance up to the sky. "It's time for you to leave already," I said sadly. It wasn't a question.

"I'll only be visiting you one more time, Edward." She reached out and hugged me tightly.

I held on until she was gone.

September 17, 2006

Cai POV

I came into a room that looked like it was right out of a horror movie. Bella's body was lying broken and bloody on a table. I had never seen so much blood in my life. I found myself temporarily transfixed by the steady drip that came of one point on the table to fall to the floor. Drip…drip…drip…

I shook my head to break myself out of my morbid trace and noticed Edward for the first time. He was pushing against Bella's chest in an effort to keep her heart pumping. Suddenly, he let out a heart breaking scream and stopped. He collapsed to the floor sobbing.

I walked over to him a physically picked him up off the floor. Holding him up by his collar I forced him to look at me. "Don't you quit, damn it."

"She's dead. I killed…" I didn't let him finish the sentence.

"You will kill her if you give up now. Keep going," I yelled. I shoved him up against the table.

He looked at me for a minute before something ignited in his eyes. Turning around, he pushed on Bella's chest again. I began counting…1…2…3…

…11…12…13. Finally, there was another sound in the room. Bella's heart finally gave in and began pumping on its own.

Edward began sobbing again, but this time out of joy. Bella's was saved.

I gave a smug look to the shadow in the corner that hadn't gotten here in time to stop me. I won.

I look back towards Edward and I couldn't help the tear that fell because I knew this would be the last time that I saw him. Before I left, I leaned forward, pressed a kiss to his cheek and whispered two names to him.

I knew the Volturi were coming.

I knew summoning the Dargon was as illegal as the creation of immortal children.

I knew Jane and Alec would pay for their crimes.

I win.

April 29, 2009

I suddenly found myself right back where I started.

Headlights…

Not fair…

Pain…

I don't want to die…

Darkness…

I lose.


	9. Wine and Gold

Chapter 9 – Wine and Gold

Bainbridge Island

April 29, 2009

Edward POV

I decided to go out for a run tonight. Not for any particular reason, but just to run. I'd always loved the way the wind felt as I cut through it. I love the almost non-existent sound of my feet impacting the earth. I especially loved the way the light rain rung out a different note on each surface it fell upon. When I ran, I felt completely free.

Only problem with complete freedom was it sometimes gave you too much time to think.

My life should be perfect. I had my Bella and she would be at my side till the end of eternity. My daughter was healthy and happy, even if she was entering a strange half-breed version of puberty. The family was all together, and even though we would be leaving Forks soon, everyone was content.

There was only one thing missing; my best friend.

I know the rest wondered about Cai's fate. No one had seen her since the day Bella was turned. I wished she had show up at least one more time so I could say good bye to her and thank her for everything she did.

Suddenly, a flash of white off to my left grabbed my attention. Intending to find out what it was, I ran towards it, but when I got there, whatever it was, was gone. I stood there for a moment trying to figure out what I had seen and more importantly where it had gone so fast.

The squeal of tires peeling out drew me to the slight drop off above the highway. I watched a car speed away down the road until the taillights vanished around curve. I thought the behavior was a bit odd and was just about to right it off when I saw why the car had been in such a hurry to get away from seemingly nothing. It was a hit and run. Sometime I really found myself questioning the value of humanity when they did thing like this. Accidents happen, but leaving someone hurt and offering no aid was just wrong.

About a hundred yards from where I stood, a motorcycle lay mangled from being slammed between the speeding car and the rock wall. I looked around and sure enough a body lay sprawled in the middle of the road. It looked like they had been thrown off the bike and up over the top of the car to land behind it.

As I got closer I realized that it was a woman. The amount of blood that I could smell told me that she wouldn't last until help arrived. She was going to die, because of someone else's carelessness. It wasn't right.

I couldn't leave her alone to die in the middle of the street, so I knelt at her side and pulled her on to my lap. I broke the strap on her helmet and as I pulled it off her a cascade of wine red hair spilled across my arm.

If my heart was beating, it would have stopped right then. I was simultaneously heart broken and murderous.

I pulled her unresponsive body up to my chest and sat there in the middle of the road rocking her and sobbing. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. There was still time to change her, but I didn't know if that was the right thing to do. Cai was supposed to tell me these things. She was supposed to tell me which way to go. She wasn't supposed to me the one in need of help.

"Do you really think I would give her to you and your family only to rip her away like this?"

I looked up at the voice that had spoke, and for a moment, I found myself speechless. The blonde woman before me easily put even Rosalie to shame when it came to beauty. There was also something almost spellbinding about her that held your gaze and made you wonder if you were really seeing her. Only one being came to mind to explain who she could possibly be.

"Destiny?" I asked. She nodded slightly and then came to kneel before me on the opposite side of Cai's body.

I watched as she reached one hand out to move a blood soaked strand of hair out of Cai's face. After a moment, she began to speak.

"I lied to her you know," she began. "I told her she wasn't supposed to die, but she was. It was her fate all along, nothing could change that. The only thing that could change was whether or not she would die normally and be put into a grave and eventually forgotten, or die the kind of death that keeps on living."

She seemed to contemplate something for a moment before she locked her pale-green eyes on me. "There is so much Cai still has left to give this world. She is not meant to leave it. But the choice is up to you, Edward. You are the one who has to choose if she is to die here in the middle of the road as another statistic, or if she is to become a vampire."

A million thoughts were rolling through my head in such rapid succession that I was barely aware of Destiny rising to her feet and fading away.

I looked down at Cai's face nestled in my arms. Destiny was wrong. For me there was no choice.

I laid Cai back down on the pavement, leaned forward, and bit her.

30 Minutes Later

Alice was holding the door open for me as I came up the steps with struggling Cai in my arms. The transformation was underway and the pain she was in was evident on her face.

"I told everyone to wait in the dining room so you could explain," she said. _I told them there was and accident and you changed someone to save them, but I didn't tell them who it was. I thought you would want to do that._

I looked at Alice and I heard the answer to my unasked question. _I get it. She deserves to be part of this family after all she has done to keep it intact. Go talk to them, I'll take care of her._

"Thank you," I whispered as I passed Cai to Alice and she ran up the stairs without adding anything further.

As I stood in the front hallway, I took a moment to assess what everyone in the other room was thinking.

_I'm sure there is a perfectly logical reason as to why Edward would change someone without consulting us. It's just not like him. _

_ Poor child, she's probably terrified. I doubt she had any idea what is happening to her._

_ We may have to prepare ourselves for the reaction of the pack. They're not going to like us changing another human_

_ Idiot! What the hell is he thinking? Our coven's already drawing too much attention from the Volturi because of its size._

_ Damn Rose looks pissed. I hope Eddie's got a good explanation for this one._

I walked into the room and everyone looked at me expectantly. Needing some support, I reached over and took Bella's hand in mine. She squeezed my hand to reassure me. I knew that no matter what Bella would stand by me. She already knew I wouldn't change someone with out a damn good reason and she didn't question my motives. It's just another item on the very long list of reasons that I love her.

I looked around the room and took in the wide range of expressions. I knew that a long explanation wasn't needed to turn all expressions into one of surprise and acceptance.

"It was Cai."

May 2, 2009

Cai's heart was thundering towards the proverbial finish line. It echoed through the silent room as we watched and waited.

Alice had washed the blood and dirt off of her body and dressed her, surprisingly, in a pair of jeans and a plain black tank top. Of course the jeans were designer and the tank top silk, but for Alice it was sedate.

When I questioned her about she said that she just couldn't picture Cai in anything else. Whenever she thought of her she always saw her just the way she was in that diner back in '54.

Amazingly little had changed about her physical appearance during the change. Her features were a bit more refined and her skin was obviously paler, but she had already had a flawless complexion. While most people's hair becomes brighter and more radiant during the change, Cai's had stayed the same. I guess whatever power guides us decided not to change that very odd shade of almost purple. I was glad for that. It was sort of a trademark for her.

Another surprising thing was that we didn't have to worry about the pack getting all up in arms about my changing someone. Apparently, Destiny can be pretty persuasive when she wants to be. She even got the pack to clean up the scene of the accident.

We had decided yesterday that only the people she had actually met should be in the room with her when she woke. We thought that this might help to calm her.

I was sitting on chair next to the bed and Carlisle was sitting on the opposite side monitoring her remaining heartbeats. Jasper stood at the foot of the bed, ready to restrain Cai if the need arose. Rosalie and Alice were by the door behind Jasper. It was the safest place in the room and none of us wanted to take any chances.

Bella and Nessie went over to Charlie's. It had been awhile since they had spent any quality time with him anyway. Emmett was downstairs playing a video game and Esme was finishing up a room for Cai. For now she was in my room that I almost never used since Bella and I mostly stayed at the cottage.

Just as Cai's heart started to stutter, Destiny appeared in the room. She said nothing but gave each surprise vampire in the room a small reassuring smile. I rose to my feet to get out of the way as she made her way to Cai's side. She placed her hand over Cai's eyes and whispered something in her ear. To everyone's shock her hand started to glow slightly. As she stepped away, we heard Cai's heart give one last pump before it was silent.

Destiny stepped over to Jasper and put a hand on his shoulder. "You can stand down now," she said. "I took care of it."

And then, like she tends to do, she faded away.

We turned are attention back to Cai. Her eyelids fluttered before she looked up at me with golden-brown eyes.

**Only the epilogue left.**


	10. A Letter and A Crest

Epilogue Part One: A Letter and A Crest

_Dear Sarah,_

_The house is yours. You will find that all of the paperwork is in order and all that is left of my grandmother's inheritance is now yours._

_I can't explain what has happened to me, I wish I could, but it is better for all involved if you never know. I ask you, as your friend, do not look for me. Do not try to solve this mystery. Take the knowledge that I am where I'm supposed to be and move on._

_I hope you will think of me with fondness once in awhile, for I will think of you._

_I do wish to leave you with this bit of wisdom I have learned recently. When you cross destinies amazing things can happen._

_There is no fate but that which we make for ourselves,_

_I love you like you're my sister,_

_Cai_

**Cai POV**

Three months later

I folded the letter and set on the wooden table top in what was once my kitchen. I looked fondly around the room. I would miss my cute little ranch house, but what I have now is very much worth it. Tonight me and the rest of the Cullens will get into our cars and head for Maine.

As I stood there, I thought about my transformation and how I had begun to form relationships with my new family.

*Flashback*

It had been 2 days since I woke up a vampire. Destiny had sped up some things a bit so that I didn't have to deal with being a newborn. I didn't have the uncontrollable thirst, but unlike Bella, my eyes were never read. I also missed out on the extra super-duper strength thing, but hey, I don't feel the overwhelming need to slaughter the local townspeople. Fair trade.

Currently, I was quite content to sit on the porch and watch the rain come down. It was amazing seeing the colors of each rain drop and watching how it shatters upon hitting the grass.

I sensed Esme coming outside and looked up. She gave me a soft smile and held her hand out for mine. I reached out for her hand and stood up.

As Esme wrapped her arm around my shoulders and led me in doors, she said, "You're room is ready. Will you come up with me and see if you like it?"

"Of course, Esme," I replied. "I'm sure I will love it."

We walked at a human pace up the stairs to the third floor and entered the room across the hall from Edward's. As the door opened and I stepped inside, I was beyond amazed.

The walls were a deep maroon that went well with the cast iron and mahogany of the furniture. The carpet and curtains were a rich navy blue as well as a few throw pillows that were mixed in with the maroon and black bedding.

Generally the whole set up would be too dark, but with the one wall being glass it wasn't. It was beyond perfect.

"Oh Esme, it's beautiful," I exclaimed. "But why did you go through all this trouble if we'll be leaving soon."

Esme leaned against the wall and gave me a patient smile. "We will come back to this house one day, but more importantly, I want to make sure this was the kind of style you liked. I'm usually pretty good about figuring it out on my own, but I wanted to be sure before I make the arrangements for the new house."

I ran over and hugged her tightly. When she hugged me back, it was like being back in my mother's arms even if our physical ages were only a few years apart.

"Thank you Esme. I couldn't have dreamed of anything better."

About twenty minutes after Esme left me to admire my new room, the door came flying open in came one rambunctious pixie towing a rather reluctant looking Bella in her wake.

"We're going shopping!" Alice shouted.

For all a moment all I could do was just stare at the small bouncing girl. "Umm, shopping…?" Wow, what a brilliant reply.

"Well, your old clothes look okay, but they are so discount store like," she said.

"That's cause they are."

"And we have to fix that."

Alice stepped forward and grabbed my wrist with the hand that wasn't holding on to Bella's and ran us both down the stairs and out the front door. She stopped briefly to look over at her Porsche, but decided against it and more or less shoved us into Edward's Volvo.

In what seemed like record time, we pulled up to a large boutique in Olympia. Alice led us in again, but at least this time she was forced to use a more human pace. She stopped in front of a couple of chairs and told us she would be back in a bit with things for us to try on. Before either of us could respond, she was off again.

Bella and I looked at each other for a moment before we sat down.

"You don't like shopping too much, do you?" I asked.

Bella gave me a sheepish smile before responding. "Actually, I hate it. But every once in awhile Alice get's this need to play Bella Barbie and I get dragged into it. How about you?"

"I don't mind it. I just don't see why Alice is insisting on replacing everything I own with something that is practically the same thing, just with a bigger price tag."

"Welcome to the Cullens. It's just the way Alice is. She actually dresses just about everyone in the family. At least she real good about keeping us all within our own style."

The conversation lulled and for awhile Bella and I just sat in comfortable silence. It was Bella that broke it.

"Thank you," she said suddenly.

"For what?" I asked confused.

"For saving Edward, for saving me, for saving everyone. Especially for being a friend to Edward when he really needed one."

"I should thank you too."

"For what?" She asked.

"For making my best friend happy, for being the person that you are. And especially for not giving up on Edward even when he was being pigheaded and trying to push you away."

We smiled at each other and I could tell this was going to be a great friendship.

After trying on about a billion articles of clothing, we finally arrived home. As Alice finished putting away my clothes and explaining the 'system' she had set up in my closet, I collapsed back on the bed and closed my eyes. I don't know how, but even as a vampire, shopping with Alice actually wore me out.

I felt the bed dip and looking up to see Alice kneeling on the bed next to me.

I gave her a quizzical look but she just smiled and bounded out of the room.

As she left her voice floated back, "I just love it when the future looks bright."

The next day almost everyone in the house had headed out to hunt. Since Edward had taken me hunting just three days ago, I wasn't anywhere near hungry. The only ones left were Esme, Carlisle, and myself.

I could hear Esme out in her garden and Carlisle upstairs in his office. I decided to head up and pay him a visit.

For a moment I just stood there examining the heavy oak door. The last time I had spoken with Carlisle had been in that alleyway with the Dagon. For me it was like yesterday, but for him it has been almost 80 years.

Finally, I reached up and gently tapped on the heavy door.

"Come on in, Cai."

I opened the door and poked my head in. When Carlisle looked up from his book I realized how very reminiscent this was of the day I came to see him in his hospital office in Chicago. Apparently, he realized this as well, because we both began to chuckle at the same time.

Carlisle closed his book and motioned me forward with his hand. "Come on in and have yourself a seat. It's been a long time," he said.

I walked the rest of the way into the room and closed the door behind me. As I sat down in one of the chairs before his desk, the smell of the soft brown leather enveloped me and made me feel at home. I've always loved the smell of leather.

Carlisle leaned forward slightly and looked me in the eyes. "How are you adjusting to all of this?" He asked me.

I let out a sigh and let my eyes drift up to the ceiling for a moment. "Ok, a little overwhelming at times, but compared to my little Back to the Future routine it down right simple."

Carlisle let out another chuckle. "I don't suppose you ever found out the mechanics of all that."

"No. If Destiny knows she kept that information to herself. Besides, I'm not sure if I really want to know. It might up and fry my little vampire brain."

"Well, we would want that. Us Cullens happen to like that little vampire brain just the way it is."

I gave Carlisle a huge smile. And for a moment we just sat there. Then Carlisle reached down to desk drawer and pulled out a medium sized black box.

"I was hoping you would seek me out today, actually. I have something I want to give you."

I reached out for the box as he slid it across the desk. I set it on my knees and opened the lid. Inside was a thickly braided leather band that encased the Cullen crest. It was a lot like Edward's, only smaller and with a more intricate band. Had I still been human, tears would have fallen instantly.

All I could do was run around the desk and embrace Carlisle. I couldn't even say thank you, the words just wouldn't come. He seemed to understand anyways.

"You're welcome, Cai," he said. "You have been a part of this family since long before you were even born. I actually had this made back in 1995."

I pulled back and to look at him better. "Why in '95?" I asked.

Carlisle sat back down in his chair and I went back around to sit in mine. As soon as we were both settled, he began to speak.

"We were living in Portland then. Edward had felt like taking a stroll in the park and I tagged along. I got held up talking to a co-worker of mine that was there. When I caught up with him he looked as if he had seen a ghost. When I questioned him about it, he said that he had. Then he pointed you out. Sure enough, there you were. About 8 or 9 years old, all wine red hair and big hazel eyes. That was when I knew for sure you were a real live person. I wasn't sure if you would ever cross paths with you in real time, but I had the band made just incase."

I bit down hard on my bottom lip to keep any sobs from escaping. It took me a few minutes to gain my composure but when I did, I put the band around my wrist and stood up. "Thank you, Carlisle."

Carlisle nodded to me and as I made my way to the door, he said something.

"I guess I don't have to ask if you'll be popping in again."

I smiled and said, "I think I'll just walk in from now on."

**So my muse came back in full force. What was supposed to be a short little epilogue is now a two-part one.**


	11. Merlot and Chardonnay

**Epilogue Part 2 - Merlot and Chardonnay**

**Cai POV**

I walked out of the kitchen and made my way up the stairs. Looking into the guest bedroom, I noticed that the trunk of journals was gone. Destiny must have claimed them. The floor, on the other hand, was still littered with crumpled notes, foil wrappers, and empty water bottles. I walked across the hall into the bathroom to grab the garbage can and brought back into the room. As I picked up the trash, I continued to reminisce about my new family.

*Flashback*

About a week after my transformation, I was in the garden helping Esme plant some black magic roses when Nessie came out the back doors called my name.

"Cai! Come out front. Rose, Emmett, and I have something to show you."

Esme gave me a knowing smile, but I was at a loss as to what they would want to show me. Nonetheless, I stood up and brushed the dirt off my hands on to my 'discount' jeans. According to Alice, my old clothes were still acceptable when doing things such as gardening or hunting. Maybe I should just stay out in the garden.

As I entered the back door, the four year old pre-teen grabbed my hand and led me to the front door. I was starting to wonder if the women in this family didn't think I could find my way around on my own. I heard Edward chuckle from over by the piano as he picked up on my thoughts. Feeling childish, I blew him a raspberry on the way by.

Outside, Rosalie and Emmett were standing in front of the garage. Rose looked as beautiful and composed as ever and Emmett was grinning like a kid that knew he's done good as was expecting his just reward.

Sometimes I found it just a little hard to look at the two of them without seeing them bloody and ravage by the predators that had tried to kill them. I was glad that I had played a part in them standing here so beautiful and full of life. Well, sort of anyway.

Nessie still held on to my hand as I gave the couple a timid smile. "What's up guys?" I asked.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but before she could even get a sound out Emmett shouted, "We got you a car!"

My timid smile turned into a full on grin. "Really."

Rose smacked Emmett upside the head before she returned my smile. "Really." She pushed the button on the small remote in her hand and the garage door lifted open.

Inside was any car enthusiast wet dream. A Koenigsegg CCX; 806hp with a 32-valve V8 engine. It's glossy black paint job gleamed in the dull lights and seemed to just be begging me to take her out and let her show me how she could do 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and keep going all the way up to a staggering 245 mph.

For awhile all I could do was just stand there and gape at the $600,000+ beauty of Swedish engineering.

Rose came up and put her hand on my shoulder. "After everything you have done for us, I wanted to give you something to show you my appreciation. I'm not good with sentimentality, but I do know my cars, and this right here is about as good as it can possible get." Still rendered speechless, I stepped forward and ran my hand over the gently slopping hood. After another minute, I finally managed to get the words out. "You're definitely right Rose. Cars don't come much better than this."

Rose gave me a smile that showed me how pleased she was that I loved the car. Emmett suddenly came running up to me.

"There's something else," he said.

I felt my eyes grow wide. "What else could there possible be after that," I said pointing at the car.

"Well, we weren't really sure if you would want this yet," Emmett said, clearly a bit nervous. "But we got it for you anyways for whenever you're ready."

Emmett then walked to the back of the garage and lifted a tarp off of a MV Agusta F4 CC motorcycle. The black and red bike was beautiful, but not something I was quite ready for. Still, I walked over and gave Emmett a hug.

"Thanks Em," I said. "I look forward to taking her for a spin just as soon a I'm ready."

Stepping back, I looked over at Nessie who was admiring the car.

"Hey Nes," I called.

She looked at me with her big brown eyes like my next few words could make her year or completely crush her. Even if she was extremely mature for age, sometimes the dramatic tendencies of every teenager just couldn't stay hidden.

"Feel like going for a ride with me?" I asked.

And just like that, she was in the car. I gave Rose and Emmett a wave and slid into the driver seat.

About an hour later, I came whipping back into the driveway. As I spun the wheel while hitting the break, I kicked up an enormous cloud of dust. I was too late seeing Jasper, who was now covered in gravel and dust from the driveway. His shocked expression was just too much and both Nessie and I busted out laughing.

I shot him a sympathetic look and ease the car into the garage. Nessie came around and gave me a hug before she ran into the house.

When I walked out into the driveway Jasper was still brushing dirt out of his blond curls.

"Sorry about that Jasper," I said.

"No big deal," he replied. "Let's just call it revenge for me slamming you into that wall in New York."

I had to laugh at that. "Do you know how many times I had landed on my ass that day? Not to mention that wall was really gross."

Jasper had the good sense to look sheepish as he rubbed the back of his neck.

After standing there awkwardly for a minute, I put my hands in my pockets and rocked back on my heels. "So…"

"So…" Jasper echoed. "Alice and I had a question for you."

"Shoot."

"Seeing as you had helped us get together, and since you missed the original wedding, we decided to have another one once we get to Maine. Traditionally, Alice would ask you this, but I really wanted to. Would you mind being the maid of honor?" He looked up from the driveway and into my eyes as he waited for my answer.

"I would be beyond honored, Jasper."

"Thank you."

He started to walk away and then turned around suddenly. "Can I ask you one more question?"

"You just did. But go ahead and ask me another one," I replied.

He just smiled and cast his eyes towards the garage.

I laughed as I tossed him the car keys and watched him run into the garage.

*End of Flashback*

I put the garbage can back in the bathroom and headed down the hall to the bedroom. Opening the closet, I pulled out my suitcase and set on the bed. I glanced around and then set about packing up the few items that could not be replaced and that meant the most to me.

There was the framed picture of me Sarah sitting in her living room in our pj's surrounded by pillows, pizza boxes, and a few empty brown bottles. I wrapped the delicate frame with the red and gray afghan my grandmother had made me a few years before she died.

Next went the ratted out old teddy bear that I had been given the day I was born, the small wooden box that contained my mother's locket and both my parents wedding rings, and the three photos albums that were tucked up on the shelf of my closet.

I went up to the attic to claim my mother's wedding dress and the engraved Drake family silver that I kept stored up there.

The last thing to go in the suitcase was the gray hoodie and star patterned gloves I had been wearing on the day that my life changed.

I picked up the suitcase and headed outside. Edward was leaning up against his Volvo and as I headed towards him he stepped forward and took the suitcase from my hand. Once it was loaded in to the truck, he turned to look back at me.

"Do you regret me changing you, Cai?" He asked.

I gave him a shocked look. "Of course not!" I almost yelled. When he looked a bit shocked, I reached out and wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me back and I told him what I was feeling.

"Sure, it's a little hard letting go to a few things, but I do not regret anything. You and the rest are my family. I believe with everything inside of me that this is where I am supposed to be." I stepped back and locked my eyes with his. "Don't you ever think that I regret what you did. And if you ever start that self-deprecating crap while I'm around, I will kick your sparkly ass from here straight back to the stone age. Got it?"

Edward wrapped his arms around my head and hugged it to his chest for a moment. "Got it."

As Edward got into his car he asked me if I was going to follow him right away.

"I'll be along in just a few minutes," I replied. Edward nodded and headed down the driveway.

I watched him leave and then headed back up the steps on to the porch. I laid down of the swing with my arms behind my head and one foot on the ground pushing gently. As I closed my eyes, I could have sworn I saw a flash of white blonde hair and Destiny giving me one of her knowing smirks.

I stayed there for about half and hour before I got up and headed down the wooden steps for the last time.

I didn't look back as I zipped up my leather jacket and swung one leg over the seat of my Agusta. The engine roared to life and I headed out down the driveway, leaving my past behind as heading out towards my new destiny.

**EPOV**

The stars glittered above me like thousands of diamonds as I stood on the dock looking out over Puget Sound. It wasn't long before I felt the presence I was waiting for come up behind me.

Destiny leaned over the rail next to me. Her hair almost blended in with the white of her dress. The wind blew gently, sending both billowing out in a way that gave her that ethereal quality none could match.

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice," she said.

"It's not a problem," I answered. I turned to look at her directly. "You said this was about Cai."

"It is." She looked in the direction of a small boat moored to another dock a ways down the beach. I followed the direction her pale green eyes had taken and noticed a man stepping off the boat and on to the pier.

Not a man, a vampire. He was about my height, but a bit fuller about the chest. He had probably been in his late twenties when he was changed. He had strong, symmetrical features and I noted that his eyes were a strange orange-ish hue indicating that he had at least been trying not to prey on humans.

"I think his hair kind of looks like the color of chardonnay," Destiny said.

I glanced at her and then back over to the vampire in question. His hair was shoulder length and a golden blonde color that did in fact resemble the color of the white wine.

Destiny spoke up again. "Merlot and chardonnay, I think they will look beautiful together."

She rested a hand on my shoulder and leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "We wouldn't want her to take your place as the odd one out, now would we?"

I shook my head no. "What do we do now?"

"We let destiny take it's course."

**The end. No, I am not setting up for a sequel. I just wanted to establish that after Cai would not ending up all alone. She needs her smoochies, among other things. Thanks to all who stuck with me and please review.**


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